This open letter to a pit bull’s former owner is making us happy-cry
This open letter to a pit bull’s former owner is making us happy-cry
Adopting a furry friend is a massive responsibility and not one that should be taken lightly. However, sometimes, uncontrollable situations like finances, allergies, or job changes can render even the most prepared pet owner unable to provide their pet the loving home they deserve, and an owner may be forced to give up their beloved pet, knowing that they can’t give them what they need. That’s exactly why an open letter to a former owner of a pit bull is going viral on Facebook.
Today, BAD RAP — a non-profit organization that aims to dispel the stigma surrounding the pit bull breed — posted a picture of a beautiful gray pit bull who was surrendered to the Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority (SVACA) in Santa Clara, California, along with a heart-wrenching open letter to the former owner.
Although the pit bull was surrendered as a stray, he was so well-trained that the organization had a feeling that he was actually a well-cared-for pet. The author from BAD RAP speculated in the open letter that his owner was forced to give him up and was too heartbroken (or perhaps embarrassed) to explain the circumstances:
“We just wanted to let you know that he’s safe. More than safe, actually. He’s making new friends at record speed. We also wanted to thank you for raising such an awesome meatball of a dog. You clearly socialized the [heck] out of him — he adores people, as you know. I thought about you when I asked him to ‘Shake’ and he pushed his fat little paw into my hand. And he did his best to do a ‘Down’ although he was torn, because he wanted to be closer, not farther from me.”
Rather than judging the former owner, BAD RAP chose to let the owner know, wherever they may be, that their dog is happy and safe. “No one knows what went wrong to prevent you from keeping him (housing? hard times? illness?) but we’re guessing it must have killed you to walk back to your car without him. . . He’s headed to Balanced Bullies Rescue and Rehabilitation next week where he’ll find an awesome new life,” the author wrote in the post. “All is well. Your boy is safe. Blessings to you, wherever you are.”
Dear Former Owner of this dog. I hope you recognize your bully from this photo … We just wanted to let you know that…
Posted by BAD RAP on Tuesday, March 15, 2016
The post has been shared over a thousand times on Facebook since being posted earlier today, with hundreds of commenters expressing their heartbreak for the owner and for the beautiful pup. “Thank you for not bashing the original owner like so many do,” wrote one commenter. “As someone who was forced to surrender a dog once in my life you have no idea what it means to me! I’d give anything for the family who adopted my Julie to do this so I could see how she is!!!”
Another commenter added, “My dog was 9 years old when he was surrendered to my local shelter:
“He is awesome. . . Someone *loved* this dog. It must have gutted them to give him up. I don’t get angry that they gave him up. I grieve for them that they had to and promise them both that his golden years are going to be as awesome as he is.”
What a beautiful reminder that, although it’s essential to give rescue dogs loving homes, it’s also important to do so with only love, not judgment. All dogs should be so lucky to be as well-cared for as this pit bull, even if he’s now on the search for a new forever home.
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